Poignance
by waterbottleandpillows
Summary: "Dammit Van, she could have been happily married by now, with little tots! Please, just let her live her life…and start living yours."
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: Sadly, I don't own Escaflowne. So please don't sue me!

Author's Note: This is my first foray into the world of fanfiction-writing. Constructive criticisms would be very much appreciated. Thank you!

_**POIGNANCE**_

**PROLOGUE**

_"I won't ever forget you, even when I'm old."_

He still remembered that voice, that gentle, soothing sound that overflowed with hope, love and the deepest tinge of sorrow he could have easily missed if not for the slight quiver in her tone. She was strong, with a temper that rivaled his own and a will not even the toughest of the Zaibach could break. But at that very moment, he knew, and he knew that she knew, that no matter how hard she tried to pretend that she wasn't—with her slight smile and hopeful words—Hitomi Kanzaki was breaking. And with every second that passed by, with every tear she tried to hold back, a piece of the brave, beautiful girl from the Mystic Moon was slowly, painfully, withering away.

"_I won't forget you!"_

"_Hitomi…" _Stay.

A bitter smile graced his lips at the memory. One word, one goddamn word could have made all the difference. But he, Van Slanzar de Fanel, was too much of a coward to take that chance. With all his rashness, arrogance and bravery in battle, it was baffling how a single girl, one who could neither wield a sword nor strike a fatal punch, could reduce him into this pitiful state.

"Stupid fuckin' coward!" He shouted to no one in particular, although deep inside, he knew that all this frustration was directed more to himself than to anyone else in Gaea. After all, if it weren't for his fifteen year old self's selfless stupidity and rationality, he probably wouldn't have been standing here right now, hopelessly staring at the Mystic Moon like the broken-hearted fool that he was. _Yes, blame your virtue. Good job, Fanel._

He tried to convince himself that what he did was for the benefit of Hitomi. He knew that despite the strong connection—or he daresay, love—that they shared, Hitomi did not belong to Gaea. She had a family, friends, and a normal, peaceful life back home. And as painful as it was, he was aware that they belonged to two vastly different worlds, literally and figuratively. And as much as he wanted to hug her, kiss her and possess every single fiber of her being, he can't. Truth be told, he wasn't entirely dense. He knew Hitomi wanted him as much as he wanted her. But for Gaea's sake, they were mere fifteen year olds during that time! He could not, he absolutely could not, deprive Hitomi of the chance to live her life—her _real_, normal life— just because of some ridiculous feeling he wasn't even certain would last. Sure, Hitomi could stay. Hell, he wanted her to stay. But what if he changed his mind? What if she did? After all, how reliable could the feelings of fifteen year olds be?

At that moment, he knew he had to make the hardest—and most rational—decision of his life. Hitomi would gladly and willingly stay for him, that he was certain of. Merle had told him hours prior that Hitomi wanted to stay in Gaea. She wanted to stay with him.

"_I want to see it with you. Or can I?"_

But what if, in a few years' time, Hitomi realizes that she wasn't really in love with him in the first place? What if she decides to go back home? Her _real _home? The portal between their worlds could not possibly stay open forever, and by the time their romance ends and disillusionment kicks in, it might just be too late. Or if by some strange twist of fate, the portal chooses to let her in once more, what kind of life would she return to? He feared the worst, and it took him all of his strength and willpower to pretend that he didn't care. And it hurt him. It hurt her. _That was the point after all, wasn't it?_

Hitomi promised she wouldn't forget him, but he prayed to the heavens that she did, for her sake.

_But what if she didn't? What if she's still holding on to that memory, like you are right now? _The nagging voice inside his head just wouldn't shut up, and it frustrated him to no end that despite everything—despite all the urging from his advisors, despite all the sad, pitiful looks he got since she left, despite the twelve, long, agonizing years without any communication with Hitomi whatsoever, and despite the fact that he is to wed Lady Celena Schezar tomorrow eve—he was still deeply, madly and hopelessly in love with that emerald-eyed lass who once stole his heart years past.

He knew this would happen sooner or later. He was, after all, the king of Fanelia, the only one left of the once proud line of the Fanels. After the war, the people of Gaea grew to value peace more than anything else in the world. And they could not, for the love of everything noble and dear, allow conflict to arise once again. Everyone in Fanelia admired and respected Van's strength and wisdom, but they also knew that their young king could not possibly rule Fanelia forever. He was way past the marrying age in Gaea, and if anything were to happen to him now—oh Gaea forbid!—conflict would surely arise. The crown needed an heir, and Van was well aware of that. He just didn't expect everything to happen so soon, at least, not when he was still hopelessly in love with Hitomi.

Despite the fact that it was he who urged Hitomi to return home, and that their farewell was a silent acknowledgement of the thought that they were both to move on with their lives, he still felt like he was betraying her by agreeing to this marriage. _I had to. I had no choice._ He knew his responsibility as king of Fanelia should always come first, and the people would not take his love for someone long gone as reason enough for him to delay the inevitable. "It's been twelve years Van, grow up!" He could almost hear Merle's voice berating him. His best friend knew how strong his feelings for Hitomi were, and she also knew how painful it was for him to try and pretend that it wasn't. "Dammit Van, she could have been happily married by now, with little tots! Please, just let her live her life…and start living yours."

And so he tried, he really did.

It was four summers ago when he first became acquainted with his betrothed. He recognized her as Allen's sister, but since he was so caught up with trying to rebuild Fanelia—and his pining for Hitomi—he never really got the chance to get to know her. When the Knight of Caeli decided to pay him a visit after several years, it was then that he got to formally meet Celena. When his advisers saw how perfect a pair they would be, "What a lovely couple!", as one of them put it, rumors started spreading. And soon enough, the whole of Fanelia started talking about their young king's impending marriage to one Lady Celena Schezar of Asturia. She was a beauty, that he wouldn't deny. But in the twelve years since Hitomi left, none of the princesses or the ladies he happened upon—not even Celena—ever caught his eye, and his heart, like the girl from the Mystic Moon did. And now, in a couple of hours, he was to bind himself for eternity to one lady he didn't love, to one lady who _isn't_ Hitomi.

Looking at the Mystic Moon from the balcony of his room like he always did every single day since Hitomi's departure, he sighed. "Would you allow me to see Hitomi one last time…if only to say goodbye?"

The Gods of both Gaea and the Mystic Moon must have been earnestly listening to Van's woes that night, for if one looked at the King of Fanelia's balcony and blinked a second after he uttered those words, nothing but a single feather slowly floating down the window could be seen.


	2. The Wheels Have Turned

Disclaimer: Sadly, I don't own Escaflowne. So please don't sue me!

Author's Note: **_kk, karmy 014, Inda, thepinkmartini, Slala, livelovemusic95, aye-know-hah, Alana Mae _**and **_memeylupht_**, thank you so much for your encouraging reviews! Your support inspired me to continue this fic. Enjoy!

**_POIGNANCE_**

**CHAPER 1: THE WHEELS HAVE TURNED**

"Lord Van! Van! Wake up! C'mon now, it's past noon already!"

With a speed that could surpass the fastest war horses in Gaea, Merle pounced on Van and shook him with all the strength her petite form could muster. To an observer, however, strangled might be a better term.

"I said—_WAKE UP!"_

Before she could even do more damage to the already shaken young king, Van flung a pillow to the cat girl beside him. It hit her squarely on the face, and before she could retaliate with her dangerously glinting claws, Van was already on his feet, clearly bewildered by the sudden intrusion.

"Merle? Wh-what are you doing here?" The last thing he remembered was seeing the eerie glow of the Mystic Moon before completely blacking out. _And then what? _

"What am _I _doing here? Seriously?" By now, Merle was beyond annoyed. If Van was trying to pull a trick on her, which he rarely ever did, now was definitely not the most appropriate time. "You're in a pub, Van. A pub. Do you even know what today is?__"__

"Today?"

Merle looked as if she were about to explode any second, and Van had to hurriedly rack his brain for what "today" was lest he suffer the cat girl's wrath. _Think, Van, think. Council meeting? Training? Merle's birthday? No, no…that was a couple of months ago. Dammit, what else could be so important to have Merle look at me with that…that expression in her eyes?_

And just when Merle was about to strangle her friend, for real this time, it hit him.

"Today's…my wedding."

"Wow, I could really feel the eagerness in your voice." Merle spat, still clearly annoyed with her friend. "I love you Van, but forgetting your own wedding? Really? The celebration's in about three hours, and look at you, still garbed in your smelly clothes from yesterday, clearly disoriented and looking every inch the regal king that you're supposed to be! Oh, drinking better be the only thing you did last night…"

Merle was clearly fuming. When Manna, Van's old chambermaid, announced that he was missing from his room just a few hours before his wedding, they had to search every nook and corner of the castle—and the kingdom—just to find him. Just when all hell was about to break loose, one of Van's men chanced upon his favorite steed tied onto the wooden gate of a pub near the outskirts of Fanelia. Merle was thankful that Van's betrothed had not gotten wind of Van's disappearing act, or else—well, she wouldn't want to think about the commotion that would have ensued.

"This, Van, was totally unexpected of you. I'm so disappointed!" Merle was far from done with her tongue-lashing, and was about to spout off a few choice words about Van's negligence when she saw the dejected look on his face. His eyes displayed a certain emotion she couldn't quite put a finger on, and seeing how troubled he was, she tentatively reached out a hand to comfort him.

"Van…hey, you okay?" Her voice, which previously dripped with annoyance, suddenly softened at her friend's apparent distress. Although she didn't feel the least bit apologetic for her outburst earlier (because he most definitely deserved it, she reasoned), she decided that Van's had enough of her reprimanding. He probably was just as nervous as any groom could be right before his wedding, and he may have resorted to good 'ol alcohol to calm his nerves. It wasn't really the best excuse, but it'll do. _But why in this decrepit place? _

Merle was still so caught up with convincing herself to let Van's little transgression pass when his sullen voice suddenly broke her train of thought.

"There's no turning back now, eh, Merle?" The way he spoke, the way he slowly clenched and unclenched his fists and the way he sighed in what Merle could only recognize as bitter acceptance made her instinctively embrace her friend.

"I know you're a bundle of nerves right now, and as much as I would like to tell you that yes, you could still postpone your impending doom another day, I can't. You're in this too deep now, my friend, and you better get your ass moving if you don't want uproar to erupt in Fanelia!" The cat girl quickly pulled away from Van and playfully punched his chest. Van was extremely, if not abnormally, depressed and nervous today, and Merle just had to lighten the atmosphere to get rid of the gloom that seemed to be suffocating them both. "You know I'm capable of murder, so if you don't sober up…oh, Fanel, you wouldn't really want to know what I'd do to you."

Van let out a small smile at Merle's odd attempt to cheer him up. Although her face was dead serious as she threatened him, the twinkle in her eyes betrayed her playfulness.

"I still haven't forgiven you for this, Van. But I'll let your wife-to-be do the punishment later on, once you confess everything to her after your wedding." Merle wrinkled her nose in mock distaste at Van's disheveled state. "Tsk. Celena would have a fit once she sees you like this!"

"Lady Celena Schezar. Of course._" _Van did little to conceal the sadness in his tone, and this didn't go unnoticed by Merle. Although she wanted to comment on it, eventually she decided not to, seeing that they were running out of time and a lengthy discussion might transpire if she were to probe further.

"Come on now, let's get moving! We have roughly three hours to get you ready, and if we move fast, you'd still have more than enough time to take a walk out in your gardens!" With that, the cat girl quickly went behind Van and pushed him out of the door. Two of Van's men were standing guard outside and she signaled for them to grab a couple of Van's belongings she saw were carelessly strewn across the floor.

Soon enough, Van was walking on his own accord, without Merle's prodding. As they reached the bottom of the stairs, Van felt thankful that only, he, Merle, and the old man by the counter were present at the pub. Although he had no idea how he looked like at that time, he was certain that he appeared far from being respectable. _Definitely not how I'd want to be seen by my people. Especially not on the day of my wedding._

He had no idea how or why he was in a part of Fanelia he'd rarely ever been to—in a pub, no less—when the last thing he remembered was entering his chambers immediately after making arrangements with visiting traders from Eastern Gaea. It was true that he felt utterly desolate at the thought of letting his love for Hitomi go after all these years, but how could he have ever considered going to a pub in the middle of the night just to drown his sorrows with alcohol? It was an utterly stupid move, and Van hated the fact that he could not even remember how he brought himself to actually do it in the first place.

The confusion from last night's missing memories and the splitting headache from his probably massive alcohol consumption were beginning to take their toll on him, and he knew that it was only a matter of time before the nausea overcomes his senses.

Seeing the condition Van was currently in, Merle hurried to the old man behind the counter and offered him several gold coins in payment for what she believed to be the cost of Van's stay in the pub and his vow of silence with regard to the young king's little adventure. It came as a surprise to her, then, when the old man refused to accept it.

"I have no need for this treasure you offer me, young lady. I housed my lord out of my own good will, and I believe that someday, when he is more…aware, of his surroundings, he would return and offer me his thanks himself." Although the old man's answer confused Merle, she saw that there was no use convincing him to accept payment. In a fit of hurriedness, she merely bowed and muttered her thanks, grabbed Van's arm and led him to the exit. The two soldiers who were with Merle immediately followed suit, and right before the pub's little wooden door closed, Merle looked back.

The old man was nowhere to be seen.

* * *

><p>The moment they arrived at the palace, Merle immediately ordered the young soldiers to assist and accompany Van to his chambers. People were already starting to gather inside the throne room, and they had to take the passage near the kitchens to avoid detection. Fortunately, Van's headache subsided and he seemed to have already understood the gravity of the situation. He hurriedly and stealthily rushed towards his room all the while thinking about the stupidity of his actions. He might not have remembered the events of last night, but he knew that whatever it is that drove him to take a trip near the outskirts of Fanelia—thoughts of Hitomi coupled with the few ales he shared with the traders, most probably—it was greatly foolish of him to have fallen prey to it.<p>

His heart ached at the thought of marrying Celena, but he knew that it was time to let go of the past. He loved Hitomi still, but he thought it unfair to his future wife if he held on to this love. However, he knew that he still had a good couple of minutes before the ceremony began. And in what little time was left of his singlehood, Van let himself indulge in the memories of the past—of brown hair, green eyes, and a love that no matter how difficult he tried to bury, would forever remain in his heart.

_I'll forget, Celena. But please, just this time, this last time, allow me to remember. _And for the first time in years, Van allowed himself to cry.

* * *

><p>Merle knew how hard it must be for Van. She saw the look in his eyes and heard the unmistakable sadness in his voice. She didn't know how greatly this marriage would affect him until today. All the while, she thought he was fine. <em>Well, apparently not. <em>She knew, however, that there was no turning back now. Everything was set, and he—they—had to go through with it.

As his best friend, the least she could do was make sure that everything would go over smoothly. When she learned about his disappearance from Manna, she immediately rushed to his bride's chambers. When Merle saw that she was there, awake and evidently nervous, she felt herself calm down a little. Her future sister had no inkling whatsoever about Van's disappearance, and she would make sure that it would remain that way, at least, until Van himself confesses. She promised herself that she would find him, and beat the hell out of him, no matter what. Although she knew how greatly Van detested today's union, she also knew that this marriage was inevitable, and postponing it today would only do more harm than good.

As Merle was silently mulling over the events of earlier, one of Van's men approached to tell her that the young king was already dressed and ready for the ceremony. Merle smiled at the good news, and before she set out to visit her friend, she glanced at the peonies lining up the aisle to make sure that everything was carefully and meticulously set. Once satisfied, she turned on her heels and climbed up the stairs into Van's chambers.

The moment she opened the door to Van's room, Merle immediately beamed at the sight that welcomed her. She knew that Van was a good-looking young man, but now, garbed in the royal colors of Fanelia, he looked more dashing than ever. "Manna did a pretty good job concealing your drunken self beneath all the layers of clothing, my lord."

"Merle." He let a small smile escape his lips. "Thank you."

"Don't mention it. I know you're scared, terrified, even, but you'll manage. I know you will. It was incredibly stupid of you to run away, but let's pretend for a while that it didn't happen, okay?"

Merle slowly approached Van and embraced him with all the sisterly tenderness she had. They stayed in that embrace for a couple of seconds before she finally pulled away. With a slight push, she shouted. "Now get going!"

Van briefly closed his eyes and remembered, for the last time, all the love he had for Hitomi. As quickly as his emotions surfaced, however, he buried everything away.

There was no turning back now.

* * *

><p>Author's Note: A Van-Merle chapter! I decided to alter my first idea for Poignance (the one I had while writing the first chapter), so if you were waiting for Hitomi to appear, then you would have to wait until later in the story. I hope you still support this, though.<p>

Thank you so much for your reviews!


	3. Just Who Are You?

Disclaimer: Sadly, I don't own Escaflowne. So please don't sue me!

Author's Note: _**thepinkmartini, livelovemusic95, memeylupht, picimadar, Dimanyo **_and_** aye-know-hah**_, thank you so much for your reviews! You all inspire me to continue. And _**smile syn**_, I absolutely love your writing, it's terrific! I'm glad you took time to read my first-ever story. Enjoy!

_**POIGNANCE**_

**CHAPTER II: JUST WHO ARE YOU?**

She was utterly nervous.

After months of long, arduous preparations, sleepless nights and numerous anxiety attacks, her big day has finally arrived. In a couple of minutes, she was to wed the only man she's ever truly loved, the only one who could make her stomach flutter at the slightest touch of his calloused hands, the only one who could make her heart skip a beat and make her feel like the princess—and the queen—that everyone considered her to be.

A soft smile graced her lips at the memory of their first meeting. She couldn't quite believe that the man she initially thought to be annoying and insufferable was now going to be her husband.

_Her husband. _She liked the sound of it. Gone are the days of unease at the thought that Van might suddenly be whisked away from her by some princess or lady from another kingdom. Her lips twisted into a frown as she remembered that one time when Lady Annika of Lore paid him a visit. The moment the fair-haired lass stepped off her extravagantly-adorned carriage, she immediately knew that the former had her sights set on Van. The assertive young lady—if she ever even deserved to be called one—did nothing but bat her eyelashes at the Fanelian king and parade around the castle in scandalous clothing unfit for a lady of her status. Van, naturally, did not fall prey to Annika's charms, but that didn't stop her from becoming increasingly jealous every time Annika tried to approach him.

"Ready?" The sound of Merle's voice suddenly brought her out of her murderous, Annika-centric musings.

"Now more than ever, yes. The only thing I'm terrified of is having Van disappear right before our wedding." She joked. Her smile however, didn't quite reach her eyes as she noticed Merle's evident unease at her suggestion. "Is something the matter, Merle?"

"Oh no, no, no. Nothing. Don't mind me. Really, it's nothing." D_ammit. _Merle mentally slapped herself at her obviousness. She promised Van she'll leave it up to him to confess later on, but her noticeable discomfort at the mention of his disappearance—_Just why did she have to guess spot on?_—might just give his little secret away earlier than intended.

"Merle…" The bride-to-be's tone was threatening, and Merle felt extremely uncomfortable being on the receiving end of the accusing glare of the woman in front of her. "I know when you're hiding something from me. Did anything happen to Van?"

Quickly gathering her wits, Merle calmed herself down and plastered on her most cheerful smile. "Everything's fine, you don't have to worry." Seeing the white-clad woman's shoulders relax a little, she then continued with a laugh, "I guess I'm just having some pre-wedding jitters myself!"

Merle's laugh was infectious, and soon enough, the initially worried woman in front of her let out a chuckle of her own. _There was no need to worry, so stop being anxious and paranoid. Everything is fine. We've always been fine. Remember, Van loves you._

The more she tried to reassure herself, however, the more uncertain she became. And as the events of the past started to flood her memory, she unconsciously gripped the fabric of her pristine white dress.

_Van loves you._

Suddenly, however, she wasn't so sure anymore.

* * *

><p>Although no trumpets were sounded to announce his arrival, everyone immediately felt the commanding presence of the Fanelian king as he entered the throne room. Despite the noticeable weariness mirrored in his eyes, Van looked as handsome as ever, his strong jaw set in determination and his gaze steadily scanning the crowd. All the women looked wistfully at their king, their hearts breaking at the thought of his impending marriage to another. For years, the ladies of court tried to garner his attentions, wearing the tightest of corsets and the most colorful of rouges, yet none of them succeeded at capturing his heart. Although they knew that they could never compete with the future queen, rumors of Van's secret affairs in the past gave them hope, if only to have him kiss their hands, or for some, to spend a night in his chambers, as pathetic and as undignified as it is.<p>

As Van made his way to the far end of the throne room, he felt the heated stares of the crowd—the women with desire, the men, with envy—and it made him extremely uneasy. He's always been confident, bordering on arrogant, even, but at that moment, he just felt lost. His instincts screamed at him, telling him that there was something terribly wrong, but he dismissed it as nothing more than agitation at his impending marriage. As his eyes accidentally locked with one raven-haired female's, she let out a secretive smile that would look completely innocent to a bystander, if not for the unmistakable passion Van detected in her blue-green orbs. This confounded him, not because she gave him a smile (he was used to all the attention after all), but because of the slight familiarity her gaze held. Van was certain he'd never met her in this lifetime, and he found it strange that she looked at him as if they had. Seeing, however, that his marriage was a much bigger problem to worry about than a simple glance from a lady, he simply turned his head without as much as an acknowledgement.

Momentarily forgetting about the raven-haired lady, Van's thoughts shifted to his future queen. Celena was beautiful, with her light blonde hair and sweet smile, and he was certain she'd look even more enchanting now in her wedding dress. He was actually looking forward to seeing her all dressed up in his mother's wedding gown, radiantly beaming the way he imagined Hitomi to be, had she actually been the one in Celena's place. He let out a sigh as he thought of the girl from the Mystic Moon once again. _Think of Celena, Van. In a couple of minutes you are to wed her. _

As much as he hated to admit it, he had this nagging feeling that if he hadn't met Hitomi—and hadn't Dilandau's atrocities permanently etched themselves into his memory—then maybe, just maybe, he would have allowed himself to love Celena.

"_My lord, you do know that the people are becoming restless. You need to take a queen and have an heir, Fanelia cannot afford to have a civil war if anything ever happens to you." _

"_I know, Calchas."_

"_Rumors are spreading that you and the young Asturian lady are having an affair, and the people seem to be responding quite positively to it." The hopeful eyes of one Calchas of Estere, head advisor to the Fanelian throne, stared intently at Van. Seeing that the young king refused to give a response, he sighed, "Given our current situation, I think it would be best for you to make certain… arrangements, with the lady."_

"_Arrangements, you say?" In an effort to dismiss the topic brought up by his advisor, Van swiftly turned his back on the older man. "Give me time to think."_

"_My lord, not to sound disrespectful…but really, how much more time do you need?"_

_For a few seconds, neither man spoke. Calchas, resigning himself to exhaustion and defeat—he had been pressing the young king for several years now, after all—made a curt bow and was about to leave, when Van, surprising even himself, suddenly responded._

"_Very well, I'll be speaking to Allen and Celena tomorrow noon." _

_Although Calchas did nothing to express his elation at his king's sudden acquiescence, Van knew how relieved the older man was. His stance relaxed considerably and a shadow of a smile was starting to form in the corners of his mouth. Before his adviser could go on rambling about how delighted he was at Van's decision, however, the young king immediately made a move to return to the stack of papers neatly piled up on his desk._

"_You may take your leave now, Calchas, I still have several matters to attend to."_

And just like that, his fate was sealed.

With several thoughts and memories running through his head, Van failed to realize that the murmurs around him began to die down. He was only jolted back to reality as the melody of flutes and violins filled the now-silent throne room. To his left, he saw Manna smiling at him, her long hair surprisingly out of its usual bun, making her look younger than usual. Beside her stood Calchas, his ever loyal advisor, as well as several other men whose names in his nervous state Van seemed to temporarily forget. To his right, he saw the Asturian delegation led by Allen who looked, Van bitterly thought, as dashing and as young as he was the day he saved Hitomi from the mole man. Although Hitomi made it clear several years ago that she loved the young Fanelian and not the Asturian knight, Van still felt resentful at the thought that it was Schezar who stole her first kiss. Even with Hitomi completely out of the picture—plus the fact that he was now to marry Allen's younger sister—the resentment still hasn't completely died down.

He felt thankful that no one chose to approach him as he made his way to the end of the throne room where he was to await his bride. With his eyebrows furrowed and a menacing scowl on his face, he thought about how threatening he must have looked that not even the brave and loyal Calchas dared approach him. Relaxing his stance a bit—it was his wedding after all—Van briefly closed his eyes before training his gaze on the giant mahogany doors that were to open any second now. True enough, the twin doors, held by two of Van's most loyal soldiers, opened to reveal a radiant Merle, dressed in a rose-colored dress that complimented the pink of her hair. Behind her followed several equally beautiful young women, who Van recognized were all ladies of noble blood.

It was customary in a Fanelian wedding to have several maidens come first in the procession before the bride herself. And unlike celebrations in other kingdoms, Fanelians prefer to have weddings indoors and with only a few people invited, to preserve the sanctity of the celebration. Most often than not, only nobles and those with close ties to the royal family were invited, while the rest of the citizens stayed out, earnestly waiting for the appearance of the already married couple. Van let out a small smile as he saw Merle wink while mouthing a silent 'I'm proud of you' at him. Never had he seen his best friend so radiant and lovely, and his heart swelled in brotherly pride at the beautiful young woman his little cat girl has become. All thoughts of Merle, however, flew out of the window as the last of the women entered the room.

Everyone present looked open mouthed at the beauty that was their future queen. Dressed in an elegant white dress that hugged her petite form perfectly, she truly looked like a goddess—unspoiled, kind and painfully beautiful. Her short hair was arranged into soft curls and flowers adorned the top of her head. Her full lips were curved into a smile, and her cheeks, despite the absence of tint, were perfectly pink and rosy. The women in the room paled in comparison to her, and at that moment, they knew that never would they stand a chance against the lady who now slowly made her way to the far end of the room where their king stood, evidently dumbfounded.

Van's heart was now threatening to burst out of his chest as he stared at the woman before him. Although he knew that his mind was only playing a terrible trick on him—it was the only rational explanation, after all—he can't help but react to the vision that was slowly approaching.

_It can't be._

As his bride stopped a mere few inches away from where he was, his breath hitched in his throat.

Beautiful green eyes stared at him questioningly, all the love and tenderness in the world swimming in their depths.

* * *

><p>Author's Note: I know what you're thinking!<p>

...Okay, maybe I don't. Anyway, I hope you liked this chapter. I know this one's another cliffhanger, a very confusing one at that, but once I find time to continue, I'll surely update.

P.S. Doesn't the title seem familiar to you? :D Oh, and if any of you could recommend a beta reader to me, please do. Since I'm new here, I don't know how it works. But I really need to have someone read through my fic before I publish it. Thank you!


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